Reddies’ historic season ends with 5-2 loss to Tampa

CARY, N.C.—Henderson State’s greatest baseball season in school history came to an end Thursday as the Reddies lost to top-ranked Tampa 5-2 in the semifinals of the NCAA Division II Baseball National Championships.

The Reddies, 33-21 on the year, began the season 113 days ago with the team exceeding all expectations.

“This team has been resilient having gone through so much all year,” said Head Coach Cody Hooten. “I couldn’t be any prouder of what this team has accomplished. I have never been around a greater bunch of young men. These guys will always have a special place in my heart. They have left a lasting legacy.”

The Reddies, playing their fourth game in the tournament fell behind 3-0 as Tampa scored solo runs in the first, third and fourth innings.

The Spartans took advantage of five walks given up by Reddie pitching in the first four frames.

Henderson State showed they belonged in Cary by storming back to score two runs in the sixth-inning as Hunter Mayall led off the inning with a single to centerfield.

With his single, Mayall finished the year with a 20-game hitting streak while having reached base in 37 consecutive contests.

Claude Johnson would then collect his second hit of the game as the senior from Pine Bluff, Ark. doubled off the left field wall to advance Mayall to third.

After Jordan Taylor was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Lance Fields grounded into a fielder’s choice to retire Taylor at second and score Mayall for Henderson’s first run.

Hayden Lessenberry then singled to score Johnson to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Tampa, however, answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame without the use of a hit. Reddie pitchers issued three walks which accounted for the two runs.

Dylan Barrow would enter the game for the Spartans in the sixth-inning and retire 10 of 11 batters he faced with Tadarious Hawkins having the lone Reddie hit the final three innings.

Tampa threatened to extend its lead in the seventh when the Spartans loaded the bases with no outs.

Reliever Josh Henderson would enter the game for the Reddies and

get Andrew Amaro to line into a double play followed by a fly out by Casey Scoggins to end the inning without the Spartans scoring a run.

Jay Hawley started for the Reddies on the mound and pitched three innings giving up three runs on six hits while walking four batters in suffering the loss.

Henderson used five pitchers including Ryan Black, Colton Lorance, Hayden Daniel and Henderson.

The Henderson State defense was superb in the post season, especially in Cary. The Reddies went 37 innings without committing an error going back to the championship game of the NCAA Central Regional. The Reddies turned four double plays and had numerous web gems throughout the tournament.

Mayall went 5-for-14 in the four games in Cary and scored four of Henderson’s 11 runs.

Lessenberry played in two games and was 3-for-7 with a run batted in, while Hawkins and Johnson had four hits each.

Hawkins had two doubles and a pair of RBI, while Johnson had a double and three runs scored.

Fields also added three hits in the tournament with a pair of doubles and 3 RBI, with Taylor having the lone home run for the Reddies.

Taylor also pitched 3 2-3 innings of scoreless baseball while Nick Vanthillo pitched five innings of relief while recording two saves.

The Reddies made a lasting impression on everyone associated with the tournament including the staff, media and fans of the annual event.

“Coach Hooten and the Reddie players have been a joy to cover,” said Brett Friedlander who covered the Reddies for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “In my five years of covering the D2 CWS here in Cary, the folks (fans included) are as classy and as nice as they come. I enjoyed meeting everyone and hope to see them back here soon.”

The same type of comment was uttered by organizers of the tournament as well as fans of the opposition.

The list of accomplishments for the 2015 Reddies is long.

Preseason picked to finish ninth in the Great American Conference, Henderson State ranked as high as No. 5 in the national rankings early in the season after the impressive performance at the Houston Astros Winter Invitational.

The season included 14 wins over nationally-ranked opponents including two wins over No. 1 St. Cloud State and five wins over teams ranked in the top 10.

Henderson finished in fourth-place in the Great American Conference regular-season and runner-ups in the GAC Tournament.

Those accomplishments led to Henderson’s first-ever appearance in the NCAA postseason that saw the Reddies win the NCAA Central Region Championship and advance to the NCAA Division II National Championships.

Henderson won two games at the National Championships and advanced to the semifinals, finishing as one of the top four teams in the nation.